Big Island firefighters try to extinguish South Point brush fire

By Star-Advertiser Staff

POSTED: 07:39 a.m. HST, Jun 29, 2010

Big Island firefighters continue to battle a brush fire today that consumed 320 acres of land in Kaalaulu near South Point.

The fire was reported at 9:18 yesterday morning. A bulldozer and 14 firefighters built a fire break to contain the blaze in what was described as open grass lands. A helicopter will be used today to continue to wet down the area.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The South Point area is in the midst of what the National Weather Service calls an "extreme drought."